This past week, Russell wandered into a shop in the Mission district of Calgary, called Inspirati, a shop that sells tea towels. Many people have memories of the tea towels we would see in kitchens as children. As it turned out, Russell got quite a lesson in tea towels and other types of linens from the shop's proprietor, Wendy Brownie.

Ten years ago this month, the multiple award-winning Canadian travel blog Toque & Canoe launched here in Calgary. Co-founders Jen Twyman and Kim Gray portaged a bright red canoe through downtown to mark the occasion. The two women, one a photojournalist and another a writer, were determined to re-invigorate what media coverage of travel in Canada could look like. They felt like mavericks in the digital media space however, a decade on, Toque & Canoe continues to produce their own brand of travel culture in Canada. Editor-in-chief Kim Gray joined Russell to talk all things travel.

Best-selling author, and long-time New Yorker writer, Tony Hiss has written a prescription for a planet in trouble as he looks at the damage done to Earth and how to move forward. "Rescuing The Planet" takes readers on a journey to meet people who trying to save place for nature to flourish and explains why it is in all our interest. He's especially excited by climate efforts being made in Canada and in Alberta. Russell reached Tony Hiss in New York City.

In her latest look at a new Alberta book, Angie Abdou (This One Wild Life, The Bone Cage) reviews a new memoir by Reinekke Lengelle, "Writing the Self in Bereavement."

Born and raised in small town Alberta, singer, Jennie Harluk, has spent much of her life exploring music and honing her craft. She was studying piano at six, and by age 10 she was performing regularly and writing her own songs. She's already been on the stage at the Calgary Stampede and the Country Thunder Festival. Jennie's debut single “Blame It On Me” came out to all streaming platforms on July 23 and she spoke with Russell about her life and new single.

The amount of physicians and health care professionals available to cover shifts in rural Alberta have been scarce and it's led to a string of temporary emergency room closures, as well as breaks in certain medical procedures for months in smaller communities. A shortage of physicians and other health care staff in rural Alberta isn't new as rural hospitals have always struggled with attracting and retaining physicians and health care professionals for various reasons. However, what hasn't been seen is this frequency of temporary emergency room closures, and breaks in service. The CBC's Tahirih Foroozan joined Russell to talk more about this issue.

Calgary educator, David Gaudet, has been on a mission to help others improve their lives by thinking about our thinking habits. During 2020 , he blogged and podcasted daily about ways to undo our patterns of behavior. He's collected those thoughts, but a host of exercises for readers, into "The Daily Undoing: Being Better At Being Human." He spoke with Russell about his 8 pillars of competency.

Grab a pen and paper to take notes. Author and book reviewer, Angie Abdou, has a strong list of 4 non-fiction books connected to Alberta.

For most women, the birth of a child is the most memorable and emotional moment of their lives. However, that isn't always the case and for some women, the aftermath of giving birth is post-partum depression. For women affected by this, it can be frustrating because they may not realize what's happening to them and the medical profession isn't always ready to spot the signs. Yalda Kazemi experienced post-partum depression following the birth of her son and she's just published a book about that in hopes of helping other mothers, parents and families to cope. The book is called "Unapologetic Truths - The Realities of Postpartum We Don't Talk About."

It's being called an antidote for the Stay-at-home blues. Geologist Dale Leckie is back with a new book that guides readers through Alberta’s landscape evolution with a trek that goes from Waterton Lakes National Park, to Dinosaur Provincial Park, into the Prairies, and across Alberta’s North. “The Scenic Geology of Alberta - A roadside touring and hiking guide" is now at local bookstores and award-winning geologist, Dr. Dale Leckie will give a talk from his book, with a focus on parks like Writing on Stone and Waterton Lakes on Wednesday, June 23 via Zoom. You can sign up at https://scenic_geology_of_southern_alberta.eventbrite.ca